The Meaning of Numbers 10:12 Explained

Numbers 10:12

KJV: And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.

YLT: and the sons of Israel journey in their journeyings from the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud doth tabernacle in the wilderness of Paran;

Darby: And the children of Israel set forward according to their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud stood still in the wilderness of Paran.

ASV: And the children of Israel set forward according to their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud abode in the wilderness of Paran.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the children  of Israel  took  their journeys  out of the wilderness  of Sinai;  and the cloud  rested  in the wilderness  of Paran. 

What does Numbers 10:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 10:1-16 - The Trumpets Sound The March
Each trumpet was made of a solid piece of silver. They fulfilled several purposes, summoning an assembly, sounding the march, gathering for battle. They are referred to symbolically in Matthew 24:31, and 1 Corinthians 15:52. We are constantly being called to arise and depart! Is not the trumpet calling today to a slumbering Church to move out to the evangelization of the world? For a whole year Israel had sojourned under Sinai. They left Egypt an undisciplined crowd; they had become a nation, and a marshaled host. Each knew his pedigree and standard; every tribe had its appointed place. The soul must visit Sinai, but not live there. It must journey forth to Hermon, Olivet, and Calvary. The Church is moving on! Find thy place in the great procession and keep it. Remembered by God and saved from your enemies! Compare Numbers 10:9 and Isaiah 52:12. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 10

1  The use of the silver trumpets
11  The Israelites move from Sinai to Paran
14  The order of their march
29  Hobab is entreated by Moses not to leave them
33  The blessing of Moses at the removing and resting of the ark

What do the individual words in Numbers 10:12 mean?

And set out the sons of Israel on their journeys from the Wilderness of Sinai then settled down the cloud in the Wilderness of Paran
וַיִּסְע֧וּ בְנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל לְמַסְעֵיהֶ֖ם מִמִּדְבַּ֣ר סִינָ֑י וַיִּשְׁכֹּ֥ן הֶעָנָ֖ן בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר פָּארָֽן

וַיִּסְע֧וּ  And  set  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָסַע  
Sense: to pull out, pull up, set out, journey, remove, set forward, depart.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
לְמַסְעֵיהֶ֖ם  on  their  journeys 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מַסַּע  
Sense: a pulling up (of stakes), breaking camp, setting out, journey.
מִמִּדְבַּ֣ר  from  the  Wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
סִינָ֑י  of  Sinai 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: סִינַי  
Sense: the mountain where Moses received the Law from Jehovah; located at the southern end of the Sinai peninsula between the horns of the Red Sea; exact site unknown.
וַיִּשְׁכֹּ֥ן  then  settled  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁכַן  
Sense: to settle down, abide, dwell, tabernacle, reside.
הֶעָנָ֖ן  the  cloud 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָנָן  
Sense: cloud, cloudy, cloud-mass.
בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר  in  the  Wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
פָּארָֽן  of  Paran 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: פָּארָן  
Sense: wilderness area bounded on the north by Palestine, on the west by the wilderness of Etham, on the south by the desert of Sinai, and on the east by the valley of Arabah; the exodus was through this area and probably all 8 stops were in this area.